I would recommend you do that first for a time until you're consistently profitable. I had to learn the hard way. Study, study, study! Then, study some more! Find mentors to follow. I follow Palmer, Arick, Tim G., Tim S., Michael C., and Scott C.

This is a race won over time, not in a sprint. Think Marathon! :)

Find a broker who has a deal with free trades and start trading it's the best way to start in my opinion. Everyone does good paper trading. I opened an account with 300 dollars and had free trades for almost a year (really lucked out with the deal they had going) and I learned more then just trading. I gained experience in the different types of trades (limit, stops, market), how I like to trade, violations ( you'll be glad you learn these with a small account) and many other valuable lessons pa

Your going to want to paper trade first off Thinkorswim free practice account.. I started with 3 grand. 2500 is a good amount to start with